Tips for Writing a Wedding Speech
This is a simple guide to making your wedding speech. It answers some of the most frequently asked questions, and gives you some tips on making it as easy as it can be.

'Tying the Knot'
Getting married has long been referred to as "tying the knot." So, where does the phrase come from? According to some historians, this expression has it's roots in ancient Rome, when the bride traditionally wore a girdle that was tied in knots. After the wedding, it was the duty of the groom to untie the girdle. Others believe the phrase is more closely associated with ancient "handfasting" ceremonies, which involved tying a cord or ribbon around the wrists of the bride and groom., thus binding them together.

Flowers by Shirley adds beauty to your wedding
Just as important as the bridal gown and the tuxedo, floral arrangements are an integral part of any wedding. No matter if the wedding is held inside or outdoors, the floral arrangement helps set the mood for the ceremony and reception.

Say "I Do" with a poem
If you are looking for something special for your wedding ceremony, you might want to try a personal, custom wedding poem.

Andy's Taylor Rental can help you plan for your wedding
So, you are planning a wedding. Where do you start? The best place to start is Andy's Taylor Rental in St. Augustine. At Andy's Taylor Rental, you will receive professional planning services. Need ideas? Andy's Taylor Rental is there to help you get a handle on the big event.

Defining Partnerships
Before they say "I do," couples may want to say more to each other about issues that often come up during marriage.

The pros can make your wedding go smoothly
There is so much to take into consideration when planning a wedding. The Pros Entertainment can take charge and eliminate a lot of the work in getting things done. With just one phone call, you can arrange for professional photography, video and music.

Books: David Frum reports from the Bush White House
"Everybody in the world wants to know what goes on in there. So did I," writes David Frum of his decision, despite many doubts about the Bush administration, to sign on as special assistant to the president for economic speechwriting.

Out & About
57 Treasury: Bill Miller's Trio -- 57 Treasury Swing Jazz Trio -- will play in the series "Music in the Garden" Feb. 9, 6 p.m. Bring a picnic and dessert will be provided. Cost is $8.

People: Speaking out with the power of poetry
NEW YORK (AP) -- Playwright Arthur Miller, rapper Mos Def and at least four former U.S. poets laureate will be among the artists and performers appearing at "Poems Not Fit for the White House," an anti-war gathering to be held Monday at Lincoln Center.

Movies: 'The Jungle Book 2' is a good movie for the family
Movie sequels are a tricky business. You have a big built-in audience wanting to know what happens next to characters they've already met, and they will pay for the privilege. On the other hand, the sequel makers, many of whom may n

Books: Tragic sea story strong on substance and style
Robert Moore's "A Time to Die" is remarkable for its subject matter and style. This true account of the peacetime, accidental loss of a Russian submarine and its crew is written in the tight, lean style that exemplifies excellent journalism.

Xbox comes with a lot of bells and whistles, but what else?
So what is an Xbox? It's a video game system made by Microsoft.
The software giant's much-anticipated entry into the video gaming console wars took place in November 2001 with introduction of the Xbox, which plays DVD-based games. It also can play DVD movies once you plug in an add-on kit.

It's a day for Chocolate!
No food is as 'addicting' as chocolate. Americans eat about seven pounds per capita annually. In Britain, the figure is close to 20 pounds per year. We spend about $655 million on chocolate for Valentine's alone.

Coalition lines up behind U.S.
SOFIA, Bulgaria -- President Bush's "coalition of the willing" is a mixed bag of nations -- some strong enough to provide military help, others limited to offering symbolic support -- but their leaders are united in standing with the U.S. threat to remove Saddam Hussein by force.

Bush vows to use force necessary to disarm Iraq
MAYPORT NAVAL STATION -- Surrounded by a sea of sailors in Navy blue Thursday morning, President George W. Bush re-affirmed his support for the military, commitment to defeat terrorism and intention to bring freedom to Iraq.

Investigators: Shuttle's exterior breached
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The space shuttle Columbia almost certainly suffered a devastating breach of its skin, allowing superheated air inside the left wing and possibly the wheel compartment during its fiery descent, investigators said Thursday.

Gov. reacts to Guana school site possibility
Gov. Jeb Bush has told St. Johns County School Board Chairman Carla Wright that building a school in the Guana Wildlife Management Area is not in keeping with the state's plans for the land.

Police Report: Suspects arrested
The following was compiled from police reports collected from the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office (SJCSO), St. Augustine Police Department (SAPD) and St. Augustine Beach Police Department (SABPD).

A Moment in Black History: John Marrant
John Marrant (1755-1791) is sometimes called the first black preacher in America. He was also the pioneer author of "A Narrative of the Lord's Wonderful Dealings With John Marrant, a Black."

For The Record
The Northeast Florida Peace Rally will take place at noon on Saturday in St. Augustine's Plaza de la Constitucion. 'Th

NTSB report sheds light on derailment of Amtrak train
A passenger train's rough ride on tracks with a history of problems went unreported the day before a fatal Amtrak Auto Train derailment on April 18 in Putnam County, according to National Transportation Safety Board documents.

No longer a pipe dream
For the past 10 days, St. Augustine residents and tourists alike have been strolling past a sign posted on the wooden double doors of the Cathedral-Basilica of St. Augustine reading, "Cathedral closed due to organ transplant."

Bush vows to use force necessary to disarm Iraq
MAYPORT NAVAL STATION -- Surrounded by a sea of sailors in Navy blue Thursday morning, President George W. Bush re-affirmed his support for the military, commitment to defeat terrorism and intention to bring freedom to Iraq.

Project Buckle Up targets child seats
An alarming trend emerged while inspectors from Project Buckle Up checked the installation of 47 child safety seats at Wal-Mart Wednesday morning and early afternoon.

Police report
A fire consumed the kitchen of a St. Augustine Beach home Wednesday, but no on was injured.

Peace rally
The Northeast Florida Peace Rally will take place at noon on Saturday in St. Augustine's Plaza de la Constitucion.

Jacksonville-area sailors, business leaders turn out to see president
MAYPORT NAVAL STATION -- The bows of two Navy warships docked nose to nose and a grandstand full of enlisted men and women served as the backdrop for President Bush's speech to about 8,000 sailors and their families Thursday on the fight against terrorism and the possible war against Iraq.

W Ryan Olney
W. Ryan Olney, 26, of St. Augustine, died Feb. 11, 2003, in Jacksonville. He was born on June 7, 1976 in Buffalo, N.Y. He was a procurement analyst with Citicorp.

Elijah Evelyn Tobler
Funeral services for Elijah Tobler, 77, of Green Cove Springs who died on Feb. 5, 2003, at Orange Park Medical Center, will be held at 2 p.m. on Saturday at First Baptist Church, Green Cove Springs, with the Rev. Abram Marshall officiating. Calling hours are from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Friday at New Bethel Baptist Church, Pier Station, Fla., and from noon on Saturday till the service at First Baptist Church. Burial will be in Mt. Olive Cemetery, Green Cove Springs.

Thelma Evelyn Skinner
Funeral Services for Thelma Evelyn Skinner, 79, who died Feb. 11, 2003, at Baptist Medical Center in Jacksonville will be held 10 a.m. Friday in the chapel of the Craig Funeral Home. Entombment will follow in the St. Augustine Memorial Park Mausoleum. Friends may call at the funeral home from 5 p.m. until 8 p.m. tonight, and prayers will be recited at 7 p.m. tonight in the funeral home chapel. Flowers are gratefully accepted, or those wishing may make a contribution in her memory to the St. Augustine Shrine Club Building Fund, P.O. Box 311, St. Augustine, FL, 32085.

John E. Campbell
John E. Campbell Sr., 88, of St. Augustine, died Jan. 27, 2003, at Ponce Nursing Home. He was a native of Tennessee but grew up and married in St. Augustine. After retiring from the Florida East Coast Railway and the Seaboard Railroad as an electrician, he returned to St. Augustine to live out his life.

George David DeLaughter
George David DeLaughter, 46, of St. Augustine, died Feb. 10, 2003, at Flagler Hospital. He was a native of South Carolina and had been a resident of St. Augustine for the past five years, moving here from Ocala. He was an entrepreneur, a real estate developer and the project manager of the development of the Vista Cove Condominiums in St. Augustine. He enjoyed flying and was an instrument-rated, twin-engine pilot and flight instructor.

William Martin Pearce
William Martin Pearce Jr., 61, of St. Augustine, died Feb. 11, 2003, at his residence. He was a native of Litchfield, Ill. He was a retired O-5 after 22 years of service in the U.S. Air Force. He was preceded in death by a son, Michael Christopher Pearce.

Barbara S. Hall
Barbara S. Hall, 66, of St. Augustine expired Feb. 11, 2003, at Baptist Medical Center in Jacksonville following a prolonged illness. Born in Kottar Aceh, Sumatra, Indonesia, she had lived in The Netherlands, Suriname, and Australia before immigrating to the United States in 1947. She obtained an undergraduate and a master's degree in chemistry from Queens College and a master's of business administration from Bridgeport University. Once the Chief Financial Officer of Insurance Software and Systems, she retired to St. Augustine after living in Greenwich, Conn., for 25 years.

Saleema S. Omar
A memorial service for Saleema Omar, 100, St. Augustine, who died on Feb. 6, 2003, at Flagler Hospital, will be held at 1 p.m. on Feb. 15 at Chase Chapel. Calling hours are on Friday from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Hannah Mae Morgan
Hannah Mae Morgan, 73, died on Feb. 6, 2003, at Flagler Hospital Emergency Room. A native of Glenwood, Ga., she had lived in St. Augustine for 48 years. She was a member of First Baptist Church in Armstrong, Fla. She was with the St. Johns Baptist Association, the District Deaconess Board, and Mother of Church - Alexander Temple, Jacksonville.

Editorial: Around Florida
The Gainesville Sun, on Florida's tax system:
Florida's tax system needs a serious overhaul and change from undertaxing the state's rich at the expense of the poor.

Editorial: Cast a vote for St. Augustine
St. Augustine's commemorative quarter needs your vote. The Castillo de San Marcos is the dominant design on one of the five finalists for the 2004 Florida Commemorative Quarter to be struck by the U.S. Mint.

Letter: Accuser was devout
Editor: I have always thought that a "Christian" was one who believed in, and adhered to, the teachings of Jesus Christ. It has been my understanding that Jesus taught love for, understanding of, and forgiveness for other human beings. Tolerance for different beliefs may have been among his teachings, if not, it was chief among the intentions of the framers of the Constitution of our country. For a great number of years I have read over and over again, letters from people who say that our country was founded on a belief in God. They back this up by saying that it is in our pledge of allegiance. More research on their part is in order, as this phrase was added to our pledge within the last 60 years. The Pilgrims came here to escape religious persecution, not to begin their own brand of it.

Editorial: Around Florida
The Gainesville Sun, on Florida's tax system:
Florida's tax system needs a serious overhaul and change from undertaxing the state's rich at the expense of the poor.

Letter: Beach mayor is misguided
Editor: I have read with interest the recent diatribe and accusatory action of the newly elected mayor of St. Augustine Beach (Mr. Frank Charles) against an long-time member of the beach police department (over 23 years) who has risen through the ranks to his present position of assistant chief, under Chief Arnold Bandy, due to his excellent public service and law enforcement work for the citizens of St. Augustine Beach. This service included Mr. Tom Bradley placing his own life in jeopardy during duty in armed conflict, a gunfight, with a crazed gunman at a local condominium.

Letter: We can win without war
Editor: In his speech to the United Nations on Feb. 4, Colin Powell produced a lot of evidence to show that Saddam Hussein is a bad man who may have bad weapons. Powell and the president hope to use this evidence to rally the nation to war.

Perspective: Ronald Ziegler: Richard Nixon's messenger
WASHINGTON -- Ronald Ziegler, the White House press secretary who dismissed the 1972 Watergate break-in as a "third-rate burglary" and spent the rest of his tenure trying with denials to save Richard M. Nixon's presidency, was essentially a messenger boy.

Perspective: Widening the Democratic credibility gap
WASHINGTON -- When Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle reached back a generation and revived the term "credibility gap" for a rhetorical attack on the policies of President Bush, it was not a casual or accidental choice of words.

National Brief: Belt-tightening
NASHVILLE -- The mission board of the 8.3 million-member United Methodist Church has frozen recruiting of new missionaries and notified 19 foreign workers their contracts won't be renewed.

Search is on for minister of music
First Baptist Church, 89 St. Francis St., is in need of a minister of music to work with and under the direct supervision of the pastor.

National Brief: Clergy salaries up some
DURHAM, N.C. (AP) -- Pay for Protestant clergy in the United States has increased faster than inflation over the last 25 years, but the economic picture is still tough for many pastors, a survey conducted by Duke University's Divinity School says.

Young Life alumni gathering Saturday
Young Life of St. Johns County, now in its 33rd year, will host the third annual Alumni Get Together Saturday, at the United Methodist Church, 118 King St., beginning at 7 p.m.

Meditation workshops slated
A series of free meditation workshops will be held Feb. 21-24, to help provide practical tools for positive living and dealing with stress.

National Brief: Church of England post
LONDON -- The Rev. N. Thomas Wright, a prominent New Testament scholar, was named Tuesday as the new bishop of Durham, the fourth-ranking post in the Church of England.

Otis Mason saluted at A Level church conference
"Education" was the word on everyone's lips Feb. 6, when leaders from the community and local government came together at A Level Community Church to recognize the achievements of former superintendent of schools Otis Mason.

Series of special events planned at Gethsemane
The Usher Boards of Gethsemane Missionary Baptist Church will sponsor their annual "Love Breakfast" Saturday at 9 a.m. in the fellowship hall. Guest speaker will be Lawrence Evans of New Jerusalem Ministries of St. Augustine. The Rev. Charles A. Ferguson is the pastor, and the church is located at 317 Daniels St., Hastings.

Unitarians offer program on black history
The Unitarian-Universalist Fellowship presents "Charlotte Forten and Francis Grimke: A 19th Century African American Activist Couple" by Caroline Williams at 10:30 a.m., Sunday.

National Brief: Staff, spending reduced
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- Declining donations have forced Focus on the Family, an influential evangelical ministry with a global media reach and national political clout, to cut $5 million from its budget and lay off 34 employees.

No longer a pipe dream
For the past 10 days, St. Augustine residents and tourists alike have been strolling past a sign posted on the wooden double doors of the Cathedral-Basilica of St. Augustine reading, "Cathedral closed due to organ transplant."

National Brief: Islamic food law
AUSTIN -- Food labeled as halal, or meeting Islamic dietary laws, would be regulated under a bill introduced in the Texas Senate. Proponents say the bill would protect consumers, while others worry that the law could blur boundaries separating church and state.

National Brief: Hindus buy cathedral
DELAWARE, Ohio -- Television evangelist Leroy Jenkins has sold his longtime base, the nine-acre Healing Waters Cathedral complex, for $1.3 million to a Hindu group, the Yogi Divine Society.

Local Religion Notes
The Class Leaders Council of St. Paul AME Church will host a "Celebration of Love," today at 6 p.m., in the church social hall. The event is honoring members of the church family who have been married 25 years or more.

SAHS wins preaseason classic baseball game
Kenny Ray and Aaron Jackson each hit hoome runs to lead St. Augustine high School to a 13-3 win over Flagler Palm Coast in preseason baseball action on Wednesday. Brent hartley came on in relief of starter kyle daniel to pitch the final 2 1/3 innings and get the win.

Flagler men whip Webber in final home game
A splendid finish in a game that concluded the Flagler men's basketball team's home season actually assured the Saints that they aren't quite finished in St. Augustine.

Column: Jeter answers The Boss
NEW YORK -- For Derek Jeter, the issue is his integrity.
That's what's so galling to him about George Steinbrenner's jabs. Jeter can't just shrug them off as an emotional rant or a motivational ploy by The Boss. It's more personal than that.

Boys tennis: Bartram 5, Orange Park 2
Bartram started its season off with a win Thursday. Singles winners for the Bears were Brian Hendrick, Duncan Tonkinson, Kyle Gammon and Matt Jellison. In doubles, the team of Gammon and Ricky Benevides got a win.

Menendez's Giuliani FCCJ-bound
Menendez multi-sport athlete Nikki Giuliani committed to playing just one sport at the next level.
Giuliani signed a letter-of-intent to play softball for Florida Community College at Jacksonville next season.

State population to pass 24 million by 2030
Florida's population, influenced by a continued influx of new residents from other states and abroad, is expected to swell by nearly 8 million residents to 24.4 million by 2030, according to the latest projections by University of Florida researchers.